In order to selectively demetallize metallic reflective layers to produce security elements, it is known (EP1843901B1) to vaporize subregions of these reflective layers by acting on them with laser radiation. The positioning accuracy of the laser radiation is improved in that the subregion that is to be demetallized has a different contour on structural depressions and structural elevations than is the case in subregions that are not to be demetallized. Before being metallized, these structural depressions and structural elevations are embossed in a coating layer that is applied to a support and is then cured. In addition, optical diffraction structures can also be embossed into this coating layer. This does allow the selective demetallization with the aid of a laser radiation to be performed in a quick and still positionally accurate way, but this disadvantageously also requires a considerable complexity in the preceding embossing step in order to prepare the subregions with different laser interactions from one another. In addition, a provision of such subregions is often simply not possible due to the presence of predetermined embossed structures on the security element so that this step not only makes such methods comparatively complex, but also restricts their usability.